# MacBaren Vanilla Flake



## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

I am a big fan of a good aromatic (there are plenty of crap aros, but a good one is, well, good), but I haven't been smoking them much lately. I've been smoking a lot of English blends with an occasional VA or VaPer thrown in. So, sitting down with the MacB Vanilla Flake was a terrific change of pace.

This is a Virginia/Black Cavendish blend cased with a fairly heavy vanilla flavoring. If you don't like sweet tobaccos, stay away! If you like sweet, you'll love this stuff.

In the tin the presentation is very nice. Fairly dense, thin cut dark brown flakes. The tin note is intoxicating.

I took a flake and did the old 'fold and stuff' into my Savinelli 320KS Tundra. I had no trouble lighting, which was a bit surprising since a dense flake tends to take longer to light than a ribbon or other loose cut, and it is on the moist side. I did have to occasionally relight, but it wasn't bad at all.

Flavor? This is one of the rare aros that taste as good as they smell. It had a nice VA sweetness, a bit of the Cavendish creaminess and nuttiness I sometimes get, and a healthy dose of vanilla. The vanilla flavor is of real vanilla, not chemically artificial flavors. An hour or so later I still have a very nice vanilla taste in my mouth. This stuff is _good_.

I've read a lot about MacBarens biting, this is my first MacB smoke and I didn't notice it. Then again, I used to smoke a bulk amaretto that bit horribly so it probably takes a bit for me to notice. To me, it smoked very smooth and mellow.

I can't really comment on the room note since I smoked outdoors with a buddy who was smoking a cigar. What smells I did get were quite pleasant. I suspect that it would leave a nice smell in the room (I'll try to smoke it in my bedroom or car in the next few days to be sure).

I have nothing negative to say about this stuff. I'm a teacher- you have to _earn_ a 100%- I'd give it 4.5 to 5 stars out of 5!


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## SmokinSpider (May 12, 2010)

:banana:Great review, I will have to get some of this, have herd only good things about MB Vanilla Flake and the Sav 320 shape is going to be my next pipe purchase, so you got me twice.


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## BrewShooter (Mar 17, 2011)

Got a tin of this waiting to go. I too have found a lot of aro tobaccos to be disappointing and was waiting to find some that tasted like they smelled. I finally tried Boswell's Berry Cobbler the other day and finally got that. Tewksbury's Hobbit's Weed as well, but I'm still a bit on the fence about that one. Glad to hear the MacBaren is a winner!


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

Thanks for the nice review Jeff. I ordered some Vanilla Cream last week & now I'm wondering if I should have got the flake instead. Oh well, plenty of time. LOL. :high5:


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## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

Tashaz said:


> Thanks for the nice review Jeff. I ordered some Vanilla Cream last week & now I'm wondering if I should have got the flake instead. Oh well, plenty of time. LOL. :high5:


I'd imagine they'd be very similar. On the tin it says "Vanilla Cream Flake Cut" while the other is Vanilla Cream Loose Cut. The descriptions are very similar as well. I'm guessing they are the same blends, just cut and presented differently. So, there will be subtle differences, just preparing a flake or plug in different ways can give a different experience, but they should be quite similar.


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## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

SmokinSpider said:


> :banana:Great review, I will have to get some of this, have herd only good things about MB Vanilla Flake and the Sav 320 shape is going to be my next pipe purchase, so you got me twice.


I love variations on the author shape, I have a few now. The Savinelli 320 is one of the best of them. Great balance and feel. It is a big pipe, yet it clenches easily (for me anyway). I have two, the Tundra I smoked tonight, and an Oscar. I'd be surprised if I don't end up with another before too terribly long (I've been just barely resisting).


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## DSturg369 (Apr 6, 2008)

Great review Jeff! :tu

This one is definitely on my "to get" list!


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## GuitarDan (Nov 26, 2009)

Nice review. 
I couldn't disagree more! *chuckle*

Here is a factory made blend; from a manufacturer with a consistent recipe & process. It would seem to me like there would be little room for opinion, other than what pleases our taste-buds, or possibly if the blend triggered tongue-bite for an individual or not...

BUT...
I found this blend to have a nice citrus fruit SCENT with a hint of vanilla in the background, and next to no non-tobacco TASTE. It was closer to Navy flake (though not nearly as Virginia-esque) than it was to it's stable mate, Vanilla Cream Loose Cut.

I was hoping to finally find a FLAKE that had no qualms about being an aromatic, heavy on the vanilla. (love my flakes and plugs!) 
*sigh* 
This isn't it for me. It's FAR too subtle.
I want the Vanilla itself to club me over the head like chewing a vanilla bean. 
Not syrupy sweet, or chemical/fake imitation vanilla flavoring.

It did give a bit of sweetness, but not in a good way. It wasn't a nice happy Virginia sweetness, but more of a chemical/metallic tinged saccharine taste & aftertaste. That probably sounds worse than I mean it (it's not Galleria of Tobacco bad...) but it's the only way I can describe it.

No matter what pipe I tried it in a new MM Legend, a medium 4-hole stinger Kaywoodie billiard, a large Peterson Bent Dublin, a little Stanwell straight acorn with an extreme taper to the tobacco chamber, even my Kirsten straight, I couldn't coax what I wanted from those flakes!

For it rests in a sealed jar entombed in a pound of Lane's BCA waiting until fall comes, hopefully drawing in a LOT more vanilla from its cell-mate!


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## Zfog (Oct 16, 2010)

I am going to add this to the list. I haven't been smoking any ARO's so this is sweet. Thanks for the review as always!


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## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

GuitarDan said:


> Nice review.
> I couldn't disagree more! *chuckle*
> 
> Here is a factory made blend; from a manufacturer with a consistent recipe & process. It would seem to me like there would be little room for opinion, other than what pleases our taste-buds, or possibly if the blend triggered tongue-bite for an individual or not...
> ...


I _love_ how different people smoking the same tobacco can have such very different experiences. To me, the vanilla levels were perfect. More and it would have probably just tasted like a pastry or cake. I guess that is why we have so many different blends on the market- to suit different tastes, and different moods. I'm glad to have a disagreement, it justifies the variety on the market


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## titlowda (Jan 23, 2011)

Good reading. Should have a pretty decent set up by next week and might have to consider this.


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Jeff10236 said:


> I'd imagine they'd be very similar. On the tin it says "Vanilla Cream Flake Cut" while the other is Vanilla Cream Loose Cut. The descriptions are very similar as well. I'm guessing they are the same blends, just cut and presented differently. So, there will be subtle differences, just preparing a flake or plug in different ways can give a different experience, but they should be quite similar.


Personally, I found them to be very different. I prefer the flavor and burn of the flake, although both are good (for an aro). I think its the base VA and Cavendish (instead of burley) that gives this blend its unique advantage.


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